"Happiness" Lessons at Wellington College

[Andrés Verdú]

Hello everyone,

It has been reported in the news that Wellington College (Mr Lee's old alma mater) is to embark on an alternative teaching curriculum which will include so-called "Happiness" (or well-being) lessons. Apparently, Anthony Seldon, who is Master at Wellington College, believes that far too much emphasis is placed on examination "success" in the British educational system, thereby neglecting other equally important aspects of a child's development, such as the cultural, spiritual, moral and social faculties.

This approach is modelled on ideas proposed by the German educationalist, Kurt Hahn, and the American psychologist, Howard Gardner, and is oriented towards the development of the seven human faculties or intelligences: logical, linguistic, aesthetic, sporting, emotional, social and spiritual/moral. Those of you interested in reading the entire article may do so here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...344363,00.html.

Wellington College has also recently broken with 150-year tradition, allowing girls to study there alongside the boys for the first time. More information on Wellington College can be found on their website: http://www.wellington-college.berks....page.aspx?id=0.

I wonder what Mr Lee would make of all this, especially given the major differences between his time at Wellington College and what is happening there today. Here is a quotation from Lord of Misrule where Mr Lee speaks about his experience at Wellington College: "My mentors warned me that Wellington would be less solicitous about my comfort. They were right. It was in many ways an extension of the education that had gone before, but it was altogether harder, bleaker and acrid. There were many old servants of the College who felt their job was to make men of us, or kill us in the attempt. I went there where I was fourteen and early on had an encounter with a typical example."
_________________________________________
Lee, Christopher, Lord of Misrule: The Autobiography of Christopher Lee, (London, England: Orion Books Ltd., 2003), p.40.

How times have changed!

Warmest regards,

Andrés

[Marije Kraa]

Originally Posted by Andrés Verdú

Hello everyone,

It has been reported in the news that Wellington College (Mr Lee's old alma mater) is to embark on an alternative teaching curriculum which will include so-called "Happiness" (or well-being) lessons. Apparently, Anthony Seldon, who is Master at Wellington College, believes that far too much emphasis is placed on examination "success" in the British educational system, thereby neglecting other equally important aspects of a child's development, such as the cultural, spiritual, moral and social faculties.

This approach is modelled on ideas proposed by the German educationalist, Kurt Hahn, and the American psychologist, Howard Gardner, and is oriented towards the development of the seven human faculties or intelligences: logical, linguistic, aesthetic, sporting, emotional, social and spiritual/moral. Those of you interested in reading the entire article may do so here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...344363,00.html.

Wellington College has also recently broken with 150-year tradition, allowing girls to study there alongside the boys for the first time. More information on Wellington College can be found on their website: http://www.wellington-college.berks....page.aspx?id=0.

I wonder what Mr Lee would make of all this, especially given the major differences between his time at Wellington College and what is happening there today. Here is a quotation from Lord of Misrule where Mr Lee speaks about his experience at Wellington College: "My mentors warned me that Wellington would be less solicitous about my comfort. They were right. It was in many ways an extension of the education that had gone before, but it was altogether harder, bleaker and acrid. There were many old servants of the College who felt their job was to make men of us, or kill us in the attempt. I went there where I was fourteen and early on had an encounter with a typical example."
_________________________________________
Lee, Christopher, Lord of Misrule: The Autobiography of Christopher Lee, (London, England: Orion Books Ltd., 2003), p.40.

How times have changed!

Warmest regards,

Andrés

It's good to hear schools are starting to realize that they're 'steaming us ready' way to much.
If I (as a student) wasn't dragging myself a hernia with the books, I was biting my nails off out of stress with all the exams etc.

With these studies, schoolwork might become a bit less stressful (keep in mind I love learning).

If find the cultural part most important. If I get you right of course. It often starts on schools were people develop their manner of thinking.

We often had fights at school just because people misunderstood eachother (but then again, it were Turks and the like vs. Lonsdalers.)

*sigh* I'm prolly not even making sense so I'll stop